If you were on X during Super Bowl LX, then you likely saw Chicago Bears fans tweet about quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears’ signal caller, of course, didn’t play in the big game, but there were many football fans who wished that he had. The Seahawks “Darkside” defense swamped second-year Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, forcing him to throw two interceptions and be sacked six times in the 29-13 beatdown.
Many wondered, including myself, how Williams would have fared against the Seahawks’ defense, which would had to occur in the NFC Conference Championship. Although it’s just a hypothetical question, it does provide a baseline on how Bears fans and others think about the Bears’ franchise quarterback.
In his first year under Ben Johnson, Williams made major strides, reducing his sack numbers from a league-high 68 in 2024 to just 24 a year later. He also broke the Bears’ franchise single-season record with his 3,942 passing yards.
He accomplished those statistics en route to an 11-win season that earned the Bears their first NFC North title since 2018 and a playoff victory against the Green Bay Packers.
People have every right to feel bullish on Williams’ career trajectory. That optimism was represented in ESPN’s "2026 NFL predictions: Super Bowl LXI picks, MVP candidates” article.
A bold prediction was given about Caleb Williams' 2026 season
ESPN had 11 NFL experts make predictions for next season. Under the “Make one more big prediction about this offseason or next season” section of the article, Field Yates gave Bears fans every reason to look forward to the 2026 season.
“Caleb Williams will become an All-Pro. There was a ton of good in Williams' second pro season but still so much room for growth. Williams' completion percentage will be the area that most point to, and I am bullish that number will improve dramatically next season. The Bears' offense should return mostly intact in 2026, and that familiarity will be instrumental in their franchise quarterback's development.”
An All-Pro for a Bears quarterback would be something.
According to Pro Football Reference, the only Bears quarterbacks to earn a first-team All-Pro honor are Sid Luckman (1941-44) and 1947, Paddy Driscoll (1920, 1926-27), Joey Sternaman (1924-25), and Johnny Lujack (1950). All of those players also played other positions.
If Williams were to become an All-Pro, he would be the first Bears quarterback to do so in the Super Bowl era.
Another year with Johnson as the play caller and coach should continue to elevate Williams’ play. There was a lot of learning in the 2025 season, so Year 2 with the coach and quarterback should provide the two with a solid foundation.
Matthew Stafford and Maye earned All-Pro honors this past season. Stafford finished his 17th season while Maye finished his second.
Read more: Matt Hasselbeck stuns Bears fans with his new Caleb Williams stance
There is no reason why Williams can’t become an All-Pro quarterback after next season.